SmartLink SmartPCI56 V.92-V.44 PCI Soft

Soft V.92-V.44 PCI 2- or 3-chip Chipsets

Usage: To find other modems in the same chipset Family.

All drivers, downloads & info on this site are found via the modem.
Each Modem Manufacturers’ page also has external web-links, where available.

General Information

Early versions of the chipset (3-chip SmartPCI56 & SmartPCI561) used the identical hardware found within the SmartRISER56 AC`97 chipsets--here, purely as a DAA--and added a PCI-controller to interface between the computer bus and the SmartRISER56 hardware. Later versions (SmartPCI562 & SmartPCI563) were changed to the ‘traditional’ PCI-controller + DAA; the first with a silicon-DAA & the latter with a transformer-DAA. The chipset variants can be distinguished by the host-side chip:

• SL1500: SmartPCI56 (3-chip)
• SL1800: SmartPCI561 (3-chip)
• SL1900: SmartPCI562 (2-chip, silicon DAA)
• SL1801: SmartPCI563 (2-chip, transformer DAA)

Soft modems have a computer-interface + telephone line-interface in hardware; everything else that makes it a modem happens on the computer’s CPU in software. Soft modems have been notorious in the past for their poor performance, suffering defects ranging from summarily shutting the computer down on connection (!) to drop-outs and line-hangs. This has been mitigated in recent times by:

1. Speedier computer hardware
2. Constant driver improvement
3. More reliable computer OSs

SmartLink are not really a chipset manufacturer--STMicro supply the silicon--but rather a software, design & marketing company. In stark contrast to other companies, they have not only constantly improved their drivers (all chipset mfcs do this) but have also made sure that these updated drivers are available to the public in a generic form which will work with all modems that contain one of their chipsets. It is also pleasant to see that their drivers include Linux, even if the majority development occurs on the Windows platform.

Extra Info

Country (how to find)

ati7 in More Info & changed via the Control Panel applet (Modem Settings).

Driver Version (how to find)

ati2 in More Info

Known Problems

v3.60.03: Matthew advises Windows XP connections considerably improved from erratic 49.3/33.6k (with 3.00e Laptop) to a steady 48k. Matthew also reports “one odd thing was that with the new driver, echoing can be heard while it dials”.

Uninstaller

Supplied with latest drivers.

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